Viewpoint: We must eradicate illiteracy in this nation

I believe that illiteracy is one of the most important crises facing America, and I believe a two-parent home is the single most important ingredient in producing successful pupils and eradicating illiteracy.

Five years after dropping out of high school, I returned to school to finish. After taking a literacy test, I found out that my reading and maths levels were 10 years behind. I was shocked, embarrassed, ashamed and devastated. I knew that I could barely read, but I didn’t know that I was so far behind in reading.

Why did I do so poorly in school? Firstly, I believe that the single most important reason was because I came from a broken, unhealthy, uneducated and single-parent family. I believe healthy, educated, and two-parent families produce healthier and better-educated children.

Secondly, while I believe the government and teachers do play a role in a child’s education, I believe parents play a far more important role.

Most educated parents produce educated pupils, and most uneducated parents produce uneducated pupils. I don’t believe the government alone can produce educated pupils, nor do I believe it’s the role of the government to produce educated pupils.

Thirdly, while I believe in the importance of experienced teachers, I believe that it’s also important to have compassionate teachers. In school, some of my best teachers were inexperienced and not gifted, but they were compassionate. Because of their compassion, whenever I went to school with my hair uncombed, they would comb it for me. And when I went to school late, they corrected me lovingly and gently through an act of love with corporal punishment to teach me the importance of punctuality. At the time, I didn’t like it, but I appreciate it now. Hence, I believe compassionate teachers are as important as trained teachers.

Fourthly, poverty and economics play a major role in a child’s learning. When I went to school, many days without breakfast or lunch, I was unable to concentrate and do my work.

One of things that happened to me after dropping out of school was a feeling of a lack of confidence, the feeling of being a failure and a dunce. Although I have my degrees, I still sometimes feel like a dunce; I don’t belong; I don’t deserve to sit at the table with educated people. Consequently, my failings in school, have negatively affected my self esteem to this day.

Illiteracy can lead to school dropouts, dropping out of school can lead to unemployment, unemployment can lead to crime, crime can lead to prison, and prison can lead to death. Thus, as a nation, we have a moral obligation to eradicate illiteracy, and if we don’t, we will have to face the consequences of higher unemployment, which may lead to a higher crime rate; a scenario in which no one will be safe.

So, I’m calling on married couples to stay married in order that their children may become better pupils and get a better education, and I’m calling on churches to help fight illiteracy, for the mind is a terrible thing to waste. This is why I volunteer my time to tell children to stay in school and go to church.